Sheeraz knocks Berlanga out in fifth round, targets Canelo

Hamzah Sheeraz handed Edgar Berlanga his first stoppage loss, and has his eyes on Canelo Alvarez.

Hamzah Sheeraz dropped Edgar Berlanga three times and scored a fifth round TKO tonight in New York.

The win puts Sheeraz (22-0-1, 18 KO) in line for a shot at Canelo Alvarez, should Alvarez beat Terence Crawford in September.

Berlanga (23-2, 18 KO) was down twice in the fourth round, and was arguably bought a bit of time to hear the final bell of that round when referee David Fields gave him a long look following the second knockdown. It’s also debatable whether or not Berlanga even should have been sent out for the fifth, as he was visibly unsteady and unclear, and Sheeraz dropped him again to score the TKO just 17 seconds into that round.

“In the first few rounds, I was losing, but we had a plan,” Sheeraz said. “I told (trainer Andy Lee) I could hunt this guy down, and he believed me.”

Sheeraz, 26, was hyped as a big middleweight prospect, but struggled in an arguably gifted draw last time out with WBC titleholder Carlos Adames, moving up to the super middleweight division for this fight.

Canelo, who is still arguably the sport’s biggest box office draw, could wind up being in his sights, and he says that if he gets it, he’ll try to get another stoppage.

“Canelo’s always been a boxing hero of mine, so for mine name to even be mentioned in the same sentence as his, that’s a great achievement,” said Sheeraz.

“But if I do get the opportunity to fight him, it won’t be one of those where I try to nick it on points. I will stand in the middle of (the ring) and have it out. Whoever lands first, I suppose they get knocked out.”

The stoppage loss was the first of Berlanga’s career, and he did go a full 12-round distance with Canelo last September in defeat.